Already In
by fancyjules
Summary: There are things Matt does not consider when he agrees to become one of Molly’s two daddies. MattMohinder.


**Title:** Already In  
**Author:** hazelnutcoffee  
**Rating:** PGish  
**Pairing/****Characters:** Matt/Mohinder  
**Word Count:** 1019  
**Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to NBC, Kring, etc. Just playing.  
**Spoilers**: up to 2x05, just to be safe but no big ones after 2x01.  
**Summary:** There are things Matt does not consider when he agrees to become one of Molly's two daddies.

_already in my mind, and i'm over my head this time -- Already In, Jon McLaughlin_

There are things Matt does not consider when he agrees to become one of Molly's two daddies.

There is the most obvious thing: how he has absolutely no parenting experience and won't have any chance to learn, as Molly is already a _girl_ and not a baby he can grow with. (He makes peace with that the minute he signs his divorce papers – proof that life is just so goddamn unpredictable and really, who is he to say no to those sad brown eyes and the _please don't hurt me_ that echoes in his head sometimes, late at night?)

But there are other things, things like how he can't cook to save his life and this is a problem because children need proper nutrition and not fast food all the time. And how he is completely ignorant about what preteens watch on TV and how he can't tell the kids on _Hannah Montana_ apart from the kids on _High School_ _Musical _and apparently, there is a big difference. And especially how, once again, dyslexia ruins all sense of purpose he's felt lately because he's completely useless when Molly has questions on her homework since his reading is slow at best and his math is beyond horrible.

These things don't change Matt's mind, never would even if he was given foresight and a million years to decide because it's _Molly_ and it had been obvious to both him and Mohinder that they equally cared for the special little girl and, therefore, just as obvious that they should both be her guardians.

Of course, Matt now realizes, there is a difference between agreeing in theory and following through with the arrangement.

It's a daunting change but Matt just forges forward, moving across the country once he's out of the hospital and settling into Mohinder's cramped apartment. The whole thing falls into place quickly, almost too quickly for anyone to really comprehend what is exactly happening: Matt and Mohinder get Molly enrolled in a suitable school in a decent neighborhood, Matt transfers to the NYPD and once again applies to be a detective, and Mohinder goes back to genetics and using scientific words too complex for Matt or Molly to understand.

There's a rhythm in there somewhere but most days Matt feels like he's a beat behind on everything. He's struggling to stay above water with Molly's nightmares and the detective tests and a new city and somehow, Mohinder is always the calm in the center of Matt's storm.

Because the main thing Matt does not consider is Molly's other dad.

Matt's constantly amazed by how much Mohinder seems to know and how _sure_ he is of these things. And it's not just science things either; it is all the things he himself isn't good at. Mohinder cooks and can remember Hannah Montana from Sharpey Evans and he is fantastic at math and he's never had a child before either (Matt thinks).

There are days when Matt feels slightly jealous but most of the time, he knows that they're in this together and that he and Mohinder have different strengths in relation to Molly and that she loves them both equally. And, to be perfectly honest, he's _glad_ he doesn't have to worry about buying ingredients or sauce simmering or long division. It leaves him a lot of time to observe, something that he excels at after years as a police officer.

He tells himself he's observing Molly for signs of trauma or effects from the nightmares but that's a bold faced lie because he catches himself watching Mohinder more often than Molly. Mohinder's an enigma but Matt learns slowly that Mohinder is patient and kind and gentle, often all three at the same time. He's hardworking and dedicated and sometimes snores in his sleep when he is overtired but he'll never say no to time with Molly. He has horrible taste in television shows and no discernable interest in sports, much to Matt's chagrin. Most of all, Mohinder is smart, really smart, but he can also be really stupid sometimes and is generally always stubborn, which drives Matt crazy (but the silence when he goes on trips is much worse).

In actuality, being a parent and living with Mohinder and Molly teaches him things about himself in the process. Mostly about how he never realized how much he needed a professor and a scared little girl to heal all the misgivings he used to have about himself. To heal Janice and the failed detective tests and the two day jaunt to the Company's labs. He finds strengths he didn't know he had, like how he is extremely apt at navigating the intricate circles of little girls' playdates and sleepovers and how French braiding isn't easy but it's worth it when Molly admires her braids and ribbons in the mirror and smiles big enough to chase away the cobwebs of fear in her eyes.

Matt's not sure when it happens but, after a while, he and Mohinder go from two roommates with a common goal of keeping Molly safe to a _team_. They bounce off each other, complementing each other's styles when it comes to parenting, and slowly but surely cohere into a unit that depends on one another. That's not to say they are perfect – there are a lot of misunderstandings and nightmares and shaky judgment full of second guessing. But there's also laughter and good days and stray thoughts Matt catches accidentally that make him smile hours later at work, when he's up to his elbows in human nature, the bad kind.

There's also relaxing with wine on the couch when Molly falls asleep and Mohinder's wicked sense of humor and a first kiss that tastes like chai tea and birthday cake and surprises both of them, in the good way.

So, yeah, there are things Matt did not consider when he agreed to become one of Molly's two daddies.

But none of them have turned out to be too bad.


End file.
